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FRANQOIS HAECK, OFl BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

L'eam Bafem'lvo. 82,519, dated september 29, 186s;` @undated September 16, '1868.

IMPROVED APPARATUS .FOR DISTILLING SPIRITS,

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Y

Be it known that I, FRANOIS HAECK, of Brussels, in the province of Brabant, and Kingdom of :BelgiumT have invented a-newand useful Improvement'in Apparatus for the Distillation of Spirituous andotherY Liquids, of which the following-is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a still, constructed in accordance with my improvement, and

Figure 2 a sectional plan of the same taken as indicated by the line z a: in fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. v

My invention consists in a still, which has a continuons action on the liquid as it is passed in a current through it, by causing the same to circulate or travel through a series of channels successively, in such manner that the incoming liquidis prevented from mixing with the outgoing, and a constant and equabl-e evaporation kept up throughout the several channels or courses of its travel, by independent steam or other heating-pipes to the said channels, and over which the liquid is made to pass. And my 'invention further consists .in a condensing-dish, or ther equivalent-shaped plate or surface, arranged below the roof of the still, at a suitabledistance over the channels, for freeing the vapor of water mechanically lifted or held insuspension by it, and of returning the same to the evaporating-cha'nnels` or'portion of the still containing the liquid to be distilled.

In the accompanying drawing, the still, with its channels or passages for dow or distribution of the liquid, is shown of circular shape or character, but the same may, if preferred,.be made of rectangular or other form,

` with the channels or passages running in a zigzag direction within Aor through it. The circular construction, however, is here selected for illustration, and as showing the adaptability of the improvement to existing stills.

`-Arepresents the outside jacket or main body ofthe still, into which the spirituous or other liquid is fed by a pipe, B. This pipe enters the stillnear its bottom, in close proximity to or on one side of a radial channel,

C, which communicates, at its inner end, with a central cavity or channel, D, provided with au opening, a, thatv establishes communication with a surroun'ding or outer h'annel, E, and this latter channel, in its turn, opening, by an end passage, b, into another channel, F, and so onfor any number of concentrically-arrangedchannels, the extreme outer one, G, of which communicates, by a passage, rf, with the adjacent inner one, and the several end passages, establishing acontinuous connection of the said channels, being so arranged as that the liquid .flowing through them has a zigzag course or travel given it successively. in opposite directions, first, say, as it is delivered by the pipe Binto the channel G, making the circuit of the latter channel, and then passing through the opening c, into the next channel, to continue the flow in an opposite direction, and so on till arriving at the inner channel or cavity D, from whence it passes out, by the radial channel C, (that is, the residue,) through one or other of outlet-pipes H, providedA with taps or cocks, and situated at diierent levels, according to thev depth or body of liquid being Worked, said outlet-pipes being connected with a siphonic discharge-pipe, I, to prevent the ingress of air.

The dow of liquid as here described is represented by red arrows in iig. 2. v

To produce an equal evaporation of the spirituous or other liquid thus passing through the still in a continuous manner, without the possibility of the incoming liquid mixing with the outgoing, and so that the disengaged alcohol or other volatile matter, passing oil` from the liquid in the several channels successively, may be of equal strength or purity, I ca use the liquid in each channel to iow overseparate and equal heating-surfaces or pipes R J K L P, supplied, say, with steam from a main pipe, M, through separate branches, and escaping, by separate or independent branches, to and through a main exhaust or outlet-pipe, N.

Thus, steam entering by the pipe M, passes, by branches d and e, into the cvaporating-pipes J and R, and, by further independent branchesfg 7L, in to the evaporating-pipes K, L, and P, and passes out by corresponding branches z', j, k, Z, and m, at the opposite ends of said evaporating-p'ipes and their channels, into the main exhaust or escape-pipe N. The course thus taken by the steam is indicated by black arrows in fig. 2, and by black and blue arrows in iig. l, in which latter igure the inlet-pipe and its branches are represented by blue lines, while the outlet-pipe and i'ts branches are shown in black. I

In this way is the liquid subjected, throughout its flow along the several channels, to an equal evaporatmgpower, and the same strengthoil volatile matter extracted from the liquid in the last channel as in the first, and alcohol of equal strength or purity passed o` from all the channels, which would not be the case were a mere continuous worm to be located in the bottomsofthe channels. i y

Arranged at a slight elevation above these channels, and at, somevdistance below the roof S of the stinll, resting, say, on any number of brackets 1L, so as to leave a free space round its edge for the escaping vapors, is a dish, or other suitably-shaped condensing-plate or surface, T, which serves, as the alcoholic vaporsfrom the channels impinge upon its under surface, to partially condense the same, and so to deprive them of watery matter mechanically lifted or held in suspension by said vapors, and to return such watery matter to the channels, said condensing-plate also serving to catch any furthenwatery matter condensed above it in the upper portion of the still, and to return the same,by a pipe, r, to the channel G, near its entrance, to be passed again through the still for extraction of any spirit orv volatile matter it may contain.v I Y By this, my improvement, is perfect and equal distillation secured in a continuous manner, thev alcoholic or volatile matter passing oil', by an outlet, s, to an ordinary or any suitable column, condenser, or analyzer. The outgoing pipes H, that is, one or other of them, according to the depth of spirit being Worked, may belei't either wholly or partially open, for establishment of the overflow or passage of the residue. l Y Among the advantages accruing from this, my invention, may be mentioned a greater rapidity in the work performed, for a still of a given size, or increased economy in fuel; a more equal product, in strength and quality, and enlarged capability, as regards regulation of the latter to the greatest nicety, by the inilux'and outdow of spirits and residue respectively likewise, a better quality of product generally for a like bulk of liquid under exposure of evaporation in the still, by reason of what may be termed the exhausted liquid, which contains much fusel-oil and other invisible substances, not being permitted to remain so long in contact with the spirits not yet exhausted.

i If desired, there may be connected with the last or, say, inner channel D, a vessel, to catch the'vapors' rising from the -liquid before it leaves the still, and serving to convey them to a condenser, which. should be provided with an apparatus for determining the amount of alcohol, and with a suitable return-pipe for the condensed vapors to the still. v

What is here claimed, and d'esired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. A still, having a continuous action, by causing the liquid to flow through a series of channels successively, in such mannerthat the incoming liquid is restrained from mixingl'with the outgoing, and so that, in its passage through the still, the evaporation is produced by its travel over steam-pipes having independent inlets and outlets, so as to establish an equality, or thereabouts, of heating action throughout the several channels f the still, substantially as specified. i

2.. The combination, with the channels of the still and 'arrangement over them, substantially as described, of the condensing-plate, surface, or vessel, T, essentially as and for the purpose or purposes herein set forth.

' F. HAECK.

Witnesses:

H. J. SANFORD, ALEX. Tarrrsn. 

